Hi Hope in God,_____________________________
There are various thoughts regarding the Bride, and, as I understand, from evangelical circles, it represents the Church. Another interpretation is that the bride is Israel and the “marriage of the Lamb” is the reconciliation of Israel with God which the prophets foretold.
I have come to see the Bride as we often called it where I was taught, "called out ones", or those destined to be a part of the "out resurrection" which is the literal interpretation given of Phil. 3:11-14, 'If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
It is a prize of the upward call of God. A prize necessitates a conflict, the present conflict between Christians and rulers of the darkness of this age. (Eph. 6:12) and to receive this prize would require victory. Consequently, the “out-resurrection” of Philippians 3:11 cannot be the resurrection of Christians to which Paul refers in 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, for all of "the dead in Christ", both the overcomers in the conflict and those who have been overcome in the conflict, will be raised from the dead at the time referred to in those verses.
Not wanting to dig through my old notes, I have borrowed and am borrowing from a site that has this already laid out. The Out-Resurrection
The regular Greek word for "resurrection" appearing throughout the New Testament is anastasis. This is a compound word comprised of ana, which means “up,” and stasis, which means “to rise,” or “to stand.” Thus, anastasis means “to rise up” or “to stand up.” When used relative to those who have died, the exact meaning of the word would be, “a resumption of life, allowing one to rise up or stand up from the place of death.”
The Greek word appearing in Philippians 3:11, erroneously translated “resurrection” in most English versions of Scripture, is exanastasis. This word is made up of three parts (ex-ana-stasis). The latter two parts of the word (ana-stasis), as has been shown, mean “to rise up,” or “to stand up.” But the preposition ex (from ek) prefixed to anastasis adds a new dimension. The first part, ex (the form that “ek” takes when prefixed to words beginning with a vowel) means “out of,” making exanastasismean “to stand up out of [out-resurrection].”
At the time of the resurrection (anastasis), Christians will be separated from non-Christians; but at the time of the out-resurrection (exanastasis), certain Christians will be separated from other Christians. A smaller group will be separated from the one large group. The called out will be removed from the called.
I'll plan to come back to this as you've introduced several new thoughts.
Before I do, did you have any comment on my post regarding the passage in James?
You cited that passage as supporting this idea, however, as I've laid out, I think it doesn't actually teach us that. Can you show me how it does teach you this?
Much love!